If a movie or series is set in New York City, there’s a good chance that at least one character lives in a gritty but gorgeous loft apartment. The prevalence of lofts in some neighborhoods has earned them a reputation in NYC areas known for spacious living. However, those apartments in Brooklyn and other boroughs don’t make up a large percentage of the residential sales market at any given time.
Platinum Properties Sales Director, Melissa True says, “There was a time when many of Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn’s loft buildings were taken over by starving artists who appreciated the low rents and abundant space for large works. However, as time passed, those same artists would revitalize their neighborhoods and become victims of the success they were instrumental in creating.”
Take a look at authentic loft apartments in some of Manhattan and Brooklyn’s most highly coveted neighborhoods below.
What Is A Loft Apartment?
If you’ve only ever heard the term, you might be wondering what is a loft apartment, exactly? Not all Brooklyn apartments for sale are loft apartments, no matter how spacious they are. Strictly speaking, lofts are apartments in former industrial buildings, and they have certain aesthetic and architectural characteristics.
Those characteristics include larger windows, thicker walls and floors, higher ceilings, and proportions that are more open than buildings that were built for residential purposes. In many cases, details of the building’s original industrial use were left to add more texture to the property, such as exposed beams and pipes. For truly beautiful lofts in Brooklyn, take a look at the Mill Building in Williamsburg or 275 Conover Street in Red Hook.
That said, you won’t find all those characteristics in every loft apartment in Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Bushwick and Williamsburg, or other areas such as SoHo and Tribeca. At their most basic, lofts are spaces that are large and adaptable, which are two of the many great reasons to rent in Brooklyn.
Exquisite Examples Of Lofts In NYC
Need some inspiration in your search for loft apartments and condos for sale in NYC? Here are a few of the finest examples of lofts in NYC.
21 Astor Place, NoHo
A condo in NoHo, 21 Astor Place is a handsome Romanesque-revival building built in 1892. The 11-story building was converted to residential boutique condominiums by the Elad Group in 2003. The building is known for its reddish brick façade and graceful arched windows.
Little Singer Building, 561 Broadway, SoHo
Now a co-op, the Little Singer building was designed by Ernest Flagg in 1903 as offices and factory space for the Singer Manufacturing Company in SoHo. More than a century later, the building consists of 14 residences on 12 floors. The red, green, and lacy soft building is an iconic SoHo sight for anyone interested in early 20th century Beaux-Arts architecture.
140 Franklin Street, Tribeca
Another Romanesque-revival building, 140 Franklin Street was designed by Albert Wagner for wrapping paper magnate D.S. Walton & Co. in 1897. The wrapping paper company long gone, the Tribeca building now consists of 14 condo apartments.
The Powell Building, 105 Hudson Street, Tribeca
One of Tribeca’s most impressive buildings, the Powell Building, 105 Hudson Street, is one to keep on your radar if you’re looking for amazing houses for sale in New York. The 11-story building was designed by Carrere & Hastings for Walter Baker, a Boston-based chocolatier, in 1892. The Powell Building was converted to 16 co-op apartments and 24 offices in the 1970s.
Looking for apartments in Brooklyn and other areas doesn’t need to be a time-consuming task. Platinum Properties is here to help, so contact our friendly, professional team today.
